Anti-inflammatory effects of pitavastatin in interleukin-1β-induced SW982 human synovial cells

•First report on anti-inflammatory effect of pitavastatin in human synovial cells•Pitavastatin reduced IL-6 and IL-8 expression in IL-1β-induced SW982 cells.•Pitavastatin inhibited the activation of MAPK, AKT, and NF-κB pathways.

The present study shows the basis for the anti-inflammatory effects of pitavastatin in interleukin (IL)-1β-induced human synovial cells. The SW982 cells were pretreated with pitavastatin at different concentrations (5 μM and 10 μM), followed by IL-1β (10 ng/mL) stimulation. The results showed that pitavastatin inhibited the expression of inflammatory mediators IL-6 and IL-8. Furthermore, pitavastatin inhibited the phosphorylation of p38, extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK), c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and protein kinase B (Akt). It also suppressed the degradation of I kappa B alpha and blocked p65 translocation into the nucleus. These findings suggest that the mechanism underlying the inhibitory effects of pitavastatin on IL-1β-induced IL-6 and IL-8 release might be mediated by the suppression of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), Akt, and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathways. These results may also indicate that pitavastatin may be potentially utilized as an effective therapeutic agent for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

Graphical abstractThis study aims to elucidate effects and mechanisms of pitavastatin in IL-1β-stimulated SW982 human synovial cells. Our data demonstrate that pitavastatin significantly suppressed IL-1β-induced expression of IL-6 and IL-8 by inhibiting the activation of MAPK (ERK, p38, and JNK), PI3K-Akt, and NF-κB pathways.Download high-res image (190KB)Download full-size image